TRon

That too.

It would be a PR disaster for the Saudis never mind his mackem roots. I hope to god that's just lazy journalism, I wouldn't want him anywhere near our club.

Schar's a great footballer but that lack of pace in general at the back has cost some goals. The high press doesn't do him any favours, but he is pretty instrumental to how we play out from the back.

Even in a high press you need players who naturally will spot the gaps and try to cover those in the event of a break, and that comes to defensive minded players more naturally. I don't think Bruno is quite that, although he does his best. Also he is quite slow so if he's caught upfield he's not getting back so the point about pace is valid. What you don't want is a DM who isn't a good footballer though. We've definitely benefited from having Bruno's ability on the ball from deep so it's about getting the right balance.

I've got our game recorded anyway. I'll watch it back at leisure, probably a few times just to see if I can get some more juice out it. MOTD currently showing Brighton beating Stoke.

Thanks mate, but I found it hard to get past the first few replies. It was almost as painful as watching The Hills have Eyes for the first time after spending 20 years avoiding it.

I do miss the derbys but I prefer seeing them grubbing around the lower division troughs more. This one will do for me until the next time we draw them in the cups.

Liverpool are signing Mbappe according to the latest rumours apparently. That was coming from someone looking at his phone so fuck knows what he was looking at.

Wow. How did I miss that? They should have pulled in big hitter presenters Lineker and Shearer to pay it tribute.

What's going on with MOTD? Maidstone vs Stevenage as their leading game?

It's like saying if Dan Burn was a monster in the air and had pace to burn he'd be unstoppable though. Longstaff does the running and puts in the hard yards, but I don't think his temperament suits composure or vision.

Exactly. All that is up in the air at them moment, we still don't know what we've got there.

Nothing wrong with what he does, we just need a better version.

I'm not surprised they hate him, he's like a cockney Souness. Loves the sound of his own voice and throwing his players under the bus.

The consensus seems to be that the foul started outside the area so should be a free kick. I thought because he still had a hold Isak's shirt inside the box it was a pen. Either way Ballard should have been sent off, although tbf he was quite instrumental in our win in the end. Scored one and made one. Pretty lethal end product by anyone's standards.

I did enjoy being able to celebrate a goal without any doubts, but playing games like this against motivated rivals without VAR had me worried. It gives home sides more licence to kick the fuck out of our players, and some of them tried to do it, they just couldn't get close enough.Just glad to get out of there with the win and only one injury.

Puts me in mind of his two goals against Liverpool on his debut. He's like a contract killer when he gets the goal in his sights. You can almost seem him take aim in slow motion and he uses the whole goal to evade the keeper. If that means hitting top corner rather than low, that's where he'll put it.

I hope they don't watch the replay of the ITV showing, Waddle was getting ready to string himself up he was so disconsolate how outclassed they'd been.

Their crowd seemed to know what was coming right from the start tbh. I've seen far more hostile mackem crowds, albeit that was at Roker Park. Maybe moving to the lego stadium with the Benfica ripped off name has killed the old fervour.

He could have been sent of twice in 90 mins if he got the bookings he deserved.

I'll bet Isak was delighted as well, he doesn't often get put in by Migs. But he was twice today, the first one for the non-penalty was even better if anything.

Our blue chip players i.e. Bruno, Isak, Trippier, Gordon and Joelinton were far too good for them. As you would expect.

I fancy going on RTG but the site's probably been locked down for a week.

Now I can see why Howe was reluctant to use him too much and why he was hauled off at half time in one of the recent games. Great on the ball but struggles to get back when we lose it.

Someone forward that to the dinner confiscating King.